Scouting Report: Ja’don Rucker-Furlow

Not surprised by the growth seen out of Dayton (Ohio) Belmont senior Ja’don Rucker-Furlow since he took up the game of football just one year ago. We look at the Miami RedHawk pledge in our latest scouting report.

Prior to his junior year, Ja’don Rucker-Furlow made the decision to give the game of football a chance. We caught the basketball/baseball standout in early 7-on-7 action and felt the 6-foot-2 athlete had a bright future.

Now, a pledge to Chuck Martin and the Miami RedHawks, Rucker-Furlow has shown great growth from a year ago with a very bright future.

One area of growth is coverage ability. More polished, Rucker-Furlow can go step-to-step in man coverage while also showing the ability to be physical in press coverage. While there is still work needed in physical strength, his long arms and willingness to be physical will serve him well at the next level.

Still learning the finer details of the techniques needed for the position, we see an athlete with the ability to flip his hips and the speed to make up space if he’s beat on a route.

While projected on defense, athletically, Rucker-Furlow could also be a guy looked at as a wide receiver due to his athletic ability and great hands. A ballhawking defender capable of catching a ball at its highest point, the basketball skills we’ve seen shows us a player with great jumping ability. Because of his length, he can match up great with today’s taller receivers.

With his early pledge to the RedHawks, Chuck Martin got one of the biggest steals in Ohio. The question remains what happens as his senior film starts making the rounds? Rucker-Furlow is a major talent who is only going to get better in the coming years.